FanPost

1970-74 Bucs(picking up from MazHOF)



Last month, MazHOF had a great post about his memories of the 1964-69 Bucs. The response was so strong, I thought I would pick up the torch and talk about the first half of the great decade of the 70s, 1970-74. It's remarkable to think that a number of current franchises like the Brewers, were born during this time period, and have yet to achieve as much as the Bucs did during the first five years of the 70s. So much happened during these first five years of the decade, we'll have plenty of time to talk about the second half of the 70s in another post.

The infusion of talent during the late 60s really started to pay off during the first half of this decade, meshing with stars like Clemente and Stargell. Here is a quick review of the 1970-74 Bucs:

1970: Team moves into brand new Three Rivers Stadium midway during the season, debuting the mustard uniforms as well. Bucs cap the beginning of the decade with a division title, marking their first playoff appearance since 1960

1971: Pirates improve, to capture both the division, and beat the Orioles for the World Title.

1972: Some feel this club was better than the previous year, but a wild pitch sends Cincinnati to the WS instead.

1973: Club never recovers from the tragic offseason death of Clemente, falls to third in the very winnable NL East.

1974: Bucs regain their footing, take back the division crown. A young Dave Parker begins to emerge.

There you have it, a brief summary of the 1970-74 Bucs. The Lumber Company is born, and it was a super time to begin following the club as a kid in the Pittsburgh area. Now what are your memories of those years?

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